James Franco in drag at the Oscars didn’t suit him, says Rupert Wyatt

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes director Rupert Wyatt claims
James Franco wasn’t the right person to host the Oscars this year.

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes director Rupert Wyatt has revealed James Franco’s hosting duties at the Oscars this year weren’t his cup of tea (Picture: Getty)

The 39-year-old director, speaking to Metro.co.uk, said that James Franco and Anne Hathaway were miscast as host for this year’s Oscars.

‘Itâs a bit like putting James Dean and Debbie Reynolds on stage,’ he said.

‘I donât know. Itâs not for me to comment but James is an interesting and complicated individual, and thatâs why he gives interesting performances.

‘They didn’t think about it enough. James is not a song and dance man, heâs not a showman, heâs not Billy Crystal . If youâre going to cast him in the role of host you have to play to who he is, and dressing him up in a frock just wasnât him.’

However, the director praised Franco’s performance in Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, saying that he was his first choice for the leading role: ‘I always wanted him. He was my first choice which you donât always get so I was very lucky.

‘This film is obviously a big budget film, so I wanted someone that could headline it. Also, I wanted to make this as believable as possible. There arenât many star actors out there who can play genuinely interesting characters.

‘It’s all about Caesar the chimp. I needed an actor without a great deal of ego, so in that sense James was a great foil for Caesar.’